Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-29
TERRORISM IN IRELAND.
BALFOUR EXPLAINS THE NEW
CRIMES BILL.


LONDON, March 2S.-In the House of
Commons to-day w. Ii. smith, the gov
ernment leader, intimated that the gov
ernment had decided 10 ask the House to
pass the second reading Of the Irish Grim
inal law amendment bill before proposing
the usual Easter holidays. Cheers and
counter cheers. The government, said
Mr.. Smith, disavowed any intention to
menace the House, but they wished the
members to understand that the measure
was vital to order in Ireland, that it was
one upon which the government staked
their existence, and was more important
than the holidays.
Mr.. Balfour. Chief Secretary for Ireland,
then moved the first reading of the Irish
criminal law amendment bill. In doing
so he referred to the terms of Mr.. Par
nelfs proposed amendment to the bill, in
which the Irish leader claims that the
House should obtain further information
about the condition of ireland, Mr.. Bal
four thought the Parnellites were sutti-
cientlv informed of the state OF their
country and should recognize Irish an
archy as an artiticer recognizes his own
work.
BASIS OF THE STAND.
The government did not rest the case
on statistics OF agrarlan crime. They
took the view that the amount OF crime
must be considered in com junction with
its causes and character. The amount
was shown i'll the fact that at the present
moment there were 49S persons in Mum
ster, 115 In Connaught and 251 IN Leinster
under police protection. The law had
aoid hn hnH
not been filled by ordinary law.
Here MIR. Balfour read a number OF
charges made by judges to grand juries
showing that the number OF persons ac-
tually charged bore no relation to the
amount OF crime. Boycottlng and intim-
idatlOn, he said, were rampant in that
part OF the country most disturbed. The
men who gave this testimony we're not
| partisans. Parnellite cries OF dissent
| Paralysis OF the courts OF law was an
| evil necessary to be specially checked.
WIDESPREAD INTIMIDATION,
1t arose from the difficulty of inducing
| inundated witnesses to speak out. In
| 100 cases 422 injured parties were so ter
rted that they refused to appear. When
| evidence was obtained jurles declined
| even in the clearest cases to convict.
Here he adduced long list OF cases in
which the jury had disregarded
evidence presented, and asked
| il it WAS to be wondered
at when the national press pointed out
the jurymen giving verdict and held
them up to public reprobatiOn and secret
vengeance. Those persons desiring sepa-
| ration OF Ireland were ready to attain
their object by the exercise OF avOwed
terrorism. The jury system thus became
| impracticabe. Parnellite laughter.
| The place which the law ought to fill was
occupied by the National League.
DYNAMITE AND DAGGER.
| The members of the league relied upon
secret societies, dynamite and the dagger,
| the'object of which was the bringing
| about of a state OF anarchy BY means of
| assassination. 1t was an absurd travesty
| of facts, he declared, to say tnat the
| league had any resemblance to trades
unions. The initial policy of the league
was a combination for the plunder of in
| dividuals with the destruction OF the con-
| 4titution. The speaker then proceeded to
| give instances of boycottlng, but was re-
| Jeatedly interrupted by demands from
| the Parnellites for the names of persons
| bOycotteu. He declined, however, to give
| names unless the persons were beyond
| the reach of the members of the league.
| Mr. Balfour next read extracts from
| United Ireland disclosing tue extent Of
the system of terrOrizlng. He said that
| the latest official return showed that 1856
| persons were b0ycOtted under orders from
| the league. In many districts tenant
right mad become valueless, because no
| selling OF right was possible unless sane
Iloued by the league. No tyranny, how
over cruel, could compare with the an
archy resulting from the existence of the
league tribunals.
PROPOSALS OF THE BILL,
Coming to the proposals OF the bill he
stated tnat the government had borrowed
| the provision from the Scotch system
| giving magistrates power to examine
witnesses on OATH, even when no person
are charged with crime. 10 meet she
difficulty OF getting veTdicts, they pro.
posed 10 abolish the jury system alto
gether cheers and counter cheers foI
certain classes OF crime, giving the mag.
istrate jurisdiction, with power TO i'm
pose a maximum penalty OF six months
Imprisonment in cases OF criminal con.
spIracy, boycotting, rioting, O1fenses un.
der the white boy acts, assault on officers
of the law, lorcibe and unlawful posses.
sion, and in cases OF incitement Of the
foregoing Offenses. Cheers. .
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.
The government did not propose Ia
interfere with the liberty OF the press, but
| they hoped that by giving magistrates the
power OF summary convictions for incit-
ing ofienses they would be able 10 prevent
the press sharing in the crimes. The bill
also gave tue government power to
change the venue OF trial for graver
offense. The government felt the
difficulty connected with the abolition
OF trial by jury in Ireland, and,
therefore, proposed that the Attorney
General of England and Ireland
in cases Of grave crimes should certify
when a tairer trial could be had in Eng
land lcheersl, when, under the same
conditions as in the case OF q change OF
venue in Ireland, the trial should be held
in England. [Crles from the Parnellites
"W hat part OF EnglandWl Irish coun.
sci, be added, we're TO be allowed TO ap
pear in English courts, Parnelllte laugh.
ter and the state would provide the
necessary funds for the conveyance oI
both witnesses and lawyers.
POLITICAL oFFENsEs NOT INCLUDED
Purely political offenses, such as trea.
son, treason felony and seditlous libel
were excluded from the provisions of the
bill. Crimes triable in England were
murder, attempt 10 murder, aggravated
crimes OF violence and arson. In all
cases the bill applied only TO proclaimed
districts. The Viceroy would have
further powers to proclaim dangerous
societies found TO be disturbing the peace
and order. A proclamation directed
against society would be sub
/